While seasoned musicians will take to GarageBand like the proverbial duck to water, what about the rest of us? People who can’t play an instrument might be left thinking the app isn’t for them, but they couldn’t be more wrong. Apple has created something called Smart Instruments that allow anybody to play like a pro, even if they have no musical knowledge whatsoever. GarageBand for iPad ($4.99) includes Smart Instruments for guitars, strings, keyboards, bass, and drum--everything you need to make beautiful music.

Well, even though we're all about the Apple here, we have to recognize what the competition is up to and we are as shocked as anyone to say that Microsoft had what looks like a pretty good week. Windows Phone 8 software is out in the wild and the Metro interface is some of the best work Redmond's done in ages and it looks wicked sweet on the Surface. There were a few stumbles in the MS Keynote, so we'll see if the OS works as well as it looks. So what else happened?

What kid doesn’t want to be the next Justin Bieber or Hannah Montana? An easy, fun tool for a solo act or a whole band, GarageBand for iOS will help your kids create actual songs, even if they skipped a piano lesson or two.

BlackBerry World kicked off in Florida today, where RIM finally gave us a peek behind the veil of its forthcoming BlackBerry 10 mobile operating system. Almost immediately, the Canadian handset maker was criticized for not innovating enough, with BB10 described as shades of the late, great webOS and having more in common with iOS and Android than Microsoft’s Windows Phone, which may be the only hope mobile users have for a refreshing new OS. Ready for the rest of the day’s news? Then read on to find out what’s making headlines for Tuesday, May 1, 2012.

Playing and composing songs on your own is a blast for some, however there's something special about making music in collaboration with other like-minded folks that just can't be beat. Up until now, GarageBand on iOS has been a solo affair, but update 1.2 includes a new jam session feature that lets up to four people rock out as a group and record their tracks together in real-time. It works surprisingly well, and jam sessions are not hard to setup. Here's how you can get grooving and recording with your own little iOS band.

Everyone's been noticing an uptick in their app updates now that the big new iPad Retina Display is here. While you were busy tapping over and over that yes, you were aware other browsers would let you view adult content, a bunch of other things were going on and we nabbed some of them jsut for you. Aren't we sweet?

When you're laying down instrument tracks in GarageBand, a simple slip-up can all but ruin an otherwise great recording take, forcing you to undo your mistake and re-record it until you nail it perfectly. If you've got a bad case of the butterfingers, constantly re-trying without success can be maddening. The good news is update 1.2 makes fixing your songs after the fact a much smoother process. Now you can open up your wonky tracks in the new Note Editor and do a little quick surgery to make them right again. It's a lot easier than it sounds. Here's how you pull it off.

Boy, those new iPads sure are hot stuff, huh? Hot selling items that seriously get hot when you use them. Apparently Retina Display does come with its prices, and all those pixels generate a lot of heat. So, there's plenty of heat where Cupertino is concerned.

Nobody likes to rock their rock-n-roll on without an audience. When it comes to making original music, sharing your creations with others and getting feedback is a huge part of the fun. Prior to GarageBand's 1.2 update, your options for exporting songs were painfully limited to dumping them on iTunes and sending them via email, but now you can post your tunes on several popular social networking sites with ease. Here's how to take your painstakingly crafted songs and get them in front of some eager ears with just a handful of quick button taps.

Most musicians don't have the necessary green kicking around to hire a full string orchestra every time they want to lay down symphonic epicness on their studio album. Thankfully, GarageBand's latest 1.2 update offers a slick solution to that pricey logistical nightmare. Whether you're crafting hip-hop, rock-n-roll, or Norwegian black metal, here's how you can use the new Smart Strings feature to spice up your songs with some orchestral oomph.